Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Thursday criticized the recent arrests of journalists amid an ongoing crackdown on expression by the country's hard-liners, which he himself promised to put an end to before he was elected.
According to a report in the state-owned daily IRAN, quoted by The Associated Press, Rouhani said hard-liners "misuse" remarks by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the possible spread of U.S. influence in Iran as an excuse for the detentions.